Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

The sight turned and came to the Nets locker room.

In stark contrast to the tense and frustrating atmosphere on the Lakers side, the air here seems to be filled with relaxation and harmony.

The players were either sitting or standing, each busy with their own things, but they all had a faint smile on their faces, as if they were enjoying this rare half-time break.

Lu Yong stood in the middle of the locker room and briefly emphasized several tactical points for the second half.

His voice was calm and powerful, and every word revealed his control and confidence in the game.

He said: "In the second half, we must continue to strengthen our defense, especially the protection of the inside. At the same time, we must be decisive in outside shooting and not hesitate when opportunities arise."

The players nodded in understanding, and then Lu Yong asked everyone to rest and recharge their energy for the second half of the game.

Although it was break time in the locker room, there was no noisy noise, only sporadic discussions and occasional coughing.

The coughing sound came from Cousins, who was sitting in the corner, lowering his head and covering his mouth, trying his best to suppress his cough.

Lu Yong noticed this and walked over and asked softly: "Cousins, how are you? Are you affected by the flu?"

Cousins ​​raised his head with a stubborn look on his face. He nodded and said, "It has some impact, but it's not a big problem. If I can't hold on in the second half, I'll tell you the first time."

After hearing this, Lu Yong showed a satisfied smile on his face.

He admires Cousins' tenacity and perseverance and has full confidence in him.

Even if Cousins ​​is unable to continue playing in the second half, he has a backup plan.

The inside twin towers formed by Robinson and Claxton also have impressive strength and can help the Nets gain the advantage on the court.

Lu Yong patted Cousins ​​on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Have a good rest, we will still need you in the second half." After that, he turned and walked towards other players and continued to communicate tactics and experiences with them.

The atmosphere in the locker room was still relaxed and peaceful, with the players either resting with their eyes closed or communicating in low voices.

They knew that the second half of the game would be more intense and would require them to go all out.

This kind of relaxation and confidence from the inside out is the secret to the Nets' ability to perform at their best at critical moments.

As time went on, the atmosphere in the locker room became increasingly tense.

The players began to warm up and prepare for the challenge of the second half.

Lu Yong called everyone together again and emphasized several key points: "Remember, we must remain patient and calm. No matter how the game develops, we must stick to our tactics and strategies. Believe in yourself, believe in your teammates, and let's win this game together!"

After hearing this, the players' morale was boosted and they were all ready to go on the court.

Cousins ​​also stood up, with a determined look in his eyes.

Although he felt a little unwell, he didn't want to miss this crucial game.

With the referee's whistle, the second half of the game officially began.

Players from both teams stepped onto the field again, and the enthusiastic cheers of the fans rose one after another, as if to overturn the entire stadium.

The confrontation between the Lakers and the Nets has entered a white-hot stage.

The Lakers continued to have James control the ball. The experienced superstar dribbled across half court and came to the top of the arc, ready to organize a new round of offense.

The one defending him is still the Nets' top scorer Durant.

In the first half of the game, James' three-point shooting percentage was quite good, which also forced Durant to adjust his defensive strategy in the second half.

Durant stuck closely to James, and compared to the first half, he no longer allowed James to take easy shots.

The distance between the two has obviously shortened. Durant has to defend against James' breakthrough and be wary of his long shots.

However, Durant's defensive focus is still on preventing James from breaking through to the inside.

James felt the change in Durant's defensive strategy and smiled slightly, as if he had already expected this scene.

He waved towards the inside, and Davis understood what he meant and immediately moved to the high position to set a screen for James.

With the help of Davis' pick-and-roll, James got rid of Durant's defense.

However, he was unable to completely escape the Nets' defense because Porzingis, who came up to defend, was already standing in front of him.

Facing Porzingis' defense, James did not choose to confront him head-on, but calmly passed the ball to Davis who had moved to the right position.

After Davis received the ball, he jumped and shot without hesitation. The basketball drew a beautiful arc in the air and then fell steadily into the basket.

"Shh!"

"nice shot!"

A shout came from the Lakers bench.

Davis' mid-range jump shot gave the Lakers a good start in the second half and helped them regain their rhythm.

The Nets' offensive turn came, Brunson dribbled steadily across half court, and after scanning the court, he decided to pass the ball to Cousins ​​in the low post.

After receiving the ball, Cousins ​​immediately started a back-to-the-basket single play, trying to use his strength and skills to pry open the Lakers' defense.

However, this time Cousins' turnaround jump shot missed the target. The basketball hit the rim and bounced high. This unexpected result made the atmosphere on the court suddenly tense.

Davis and Porzingis jumped at the same time, both trying to grab this crucial rebound.

Porzingis was in a better position and seemed destined to grab the offensive rebound.

However, at this moment, James suddenly rushed out from the weak side and lightly picked up the ball with his hand from underneath.

At this moment, the basketball was completely out of the control of the three players, and the situation on the court changed instantly.

Although Porzingis was a little surprised by this sudden change, he reacted quickly and jumped a second time with his excellent athletic talent, ready to fight for the rebound again.

But at this moment, James on the side cleverly blocked the referee's view and gently pulled Porzingis with his hand.

This subtle movement prevented Porzingis from jumping up completely, while Davis on the other side seized the opportunity and quickly protected the backcourt rebound.

After landing, he passed the ball accurately to his teammate Wall, and the Lakers launched a counterattack.

While retreating, Porzingis spread his hands to signal to the referee that James had committed a foul when he grabbed the rebound.

However, the referee did not stop the game, which gave the Lakers a chance to fight back.

Wall dribbled the ball forward quickly, and with his terrifying explosive power and speed, he directly attacked the basket with all his strength.

Under everyone's watch, Wall made a precise layup to help the Lakers score two more points.

This goal not only demonstrated Wall's personal ability, but also boosted the morale of the Lakers.

The Nets launched an attack again.

After losing points twice in a row, the Lakers successfully scored two goals to keep the score close.

However, this did not dampen the morale of the Nets.

In the defensive round, the Lakers players, seeing hope of catching up, tried their best and showed a defensive intensity far exceeding that of the first half.

They worked closely together and constantly created trouble for the Nets.

The Nets' outside players passed the ball repeatedly but were unable to find a breakthrough.

Finally, the ball came into Durant's hands.

As the leader and superstar of the Nets, he knows that when the offense stagnates, he must step up and provide the team with a means to break the deadlock.

Although James adopted close and aggressive defense on Durant, Durant is a top scorer in history after all, and he was not panicked.

Through continuous dribbling between the legs and changing direction in front of the body, Durant constantly shook James' defensive center of gravity.

Seeing that there was not much time left for the attack, he decisively dribbled the ball behind his back and pulled back with his left hand, completing the move.

At this moment, Durant's skills and courage were fully demonstrated.

Durant rushed to the basket and jumped with all his strength, as if he was about to complete an explosive one-handed dunk.

However, at this critical moment, Davis came to the three-second zone in time to make up for the defense. Durant was facing a double blockade with Davis in front and James behind, and the situation was precarious.

The three of them jumped up almost at the same time and collided heavily in the air.

This aerial battle seemed to freeze time, and all eyes were focused on this thrilling moment.

When Durant jumped to the highest point, he found that Davis' defensive area was larger than he expected.

In this life-and-death moment, in order to avoid being blocked, Durant chose an extremely difficult pull-up layup.

This pull-up shot was too difficult. Even Durant, who had excellent height and wingspan, was unable to put the ball into the basket.

The basketball hit the backboard and bounced out with such force that the ball broke out directly.

The backcourt rebound was firmly protected by Lakers power forward Kuzma, and the Lakers took the opportunity to counterattack.

The Nets players quickly returned to defense, and even Cousins ​​dragged his heavy body and sprinted back to half court.

However, it is obvious that due to his huge weight, Cousins' speed is still significantly behind other players.

At the very least, Davis, who is also a big center, is much faster than Cousins.

Seeing this scene, domestic commentators Yang Yi and Wang Meng commented at the right time: "Cousins ​​is slow to begin with, and now with the impact of the flu, it makes him even slower." There was a hint of worry in their tone.

On the court, Davis, who had shaken off Cousins, had already rushed into the three-point line. After receiving the pass from Wall, he jumped without hesitation and slammed the ball into the basket with a two-handed dunk.

"boom!"

This goal not only added two points for the Lakers, but also dealt a heavy blow to the Nets' morale.

In the second half of the game, the Lakers seemed to be reborn, scoring three consecutive offensive points, which made the Nets players a little confused.

The fans at the scene also began to whisper, surprised by the Lakers' sudden effort.

Durant couldn't help but turn his head to look at the coaching bench and looked at head coach Lu Yong with an inquiring look, as if asking whether he needed to call a timeout to adjust the tactics.

Lu Yong shook his head slightly. He stretched out his left hand and made a "3" gesture, signaling the players to execute the number three tactic.

This was a tactic they had trained before, using pick-and-roll mismatches and the individual abilities of stars to break the opponent's defense.

Durant nodded, trusting Lu Yong's judgment.

Then he gathered the players together and briefly discussed the tactical details.

Brunson dribbled forward and passed the ball to Durant after crossing half court.

This time, Durant held the ball and reached out for a pick-and-roll, but strangely, the person who came forward to screen him was not the inside twin towers Porzingis and Cousins, but guard Mitchell.

This change caused a bit of confusion on the Lakers' defense.

Using this pick-and-roll, Durant directly changed the defender in front of him from James to the short Bradley.

Although Bradley's defense is also excellent among guards, he is only 1 meters tall, almost a head shorter than Durant.

This set of mismatches directly gave Durant an effective one-on-one opportunity.

Durant seized the opportunity and, without any fancy moves, took a pull-up jump shot from outside the three-point line before James tried to double-team him.

This was a very good opportunity, and Durant's pull-up jump shot was almost uninterrupted.

However, just when everyone thought the ball would hit the target, an accident occurred.

Durant's shot was a little weak, and the ball hit the front of the basket and bounced out.

"boom!"

At this moment, the air in the entire stadium seemed to freeze, and the Nets fans' hearts were in their throats.

Davis jumped high and steadily caught this crucial backcourt rebound.

The next moment, the five Lakers players on the court counterattacked again. Wall received the pass from Davis and rushed straight into the Nets' penalty area like an arrow.

Brunson quickly followed behind him, trying to stop Wall's attack.

However, he was still a step too slow and could only watch Wall break through and make a layup, helping the Lakers narrow the score to 15 points.

This goal not only boosted the morale of the Lakers, but also made the Nets fans at the scene a little panicked.

This goal was an important turning point for the Lakers, and Durant took a deep breath. The shooting opportunity just now was very good, but unfortunately, he failed to make it.

The tactics were implemented, but the performance was not good. This kind of thing can really hurt morale sometimes.

Seeing Wall hit another counterattack layup to help the Lakers narrow the score to 15 points, domestic commentators Yang Yi and Wang Meng both showed worried looks on their faces.

They know very well that in the arena, a 15-point gap is not a safe lead.

"Oh, after the start of the third quarter, the Lakers made an 8:0 climax. Now the rhythm on the court is completely on the Lakers' side." Yang Yi couldn't help but sigh, with a hint of worry in his voice.

Wang Meng nodded and continued, "Indeed, the Lakers' defensive intensity in the second half caused a lot of trouble for the Nets. You see, even a top scorer like Durant has seen his offensive touch decline. The Nets must respond as soon as possible, otherwise the situation will become increasingly unfavorable for them."

The two commentators' words were full of keen insights into the game situation.

They know that the situation on the basketball court changes rapidly and a small mistake or negligence may lead to a reversal of the entire situation.

And now, the Nets are at such a critical turning point.

"The biggest problem for the Nets right now is that they can't limit the Lakers' offense on defense," Yang Yi further analyzed. "The Lakers have good coordination, are fast, and their players have outstanding individual abilities. If the Nets can't adjust their defensive strategy as soon as possible, they will become very dangerous."

Wang Meng nodded in agreement: "That's right, the Lakers' counterattack ability is too strong. They use speed and cooperation to constantly create opportunities. Wall's layups are typical examples. The Nets must find a way to break the Lakers' offensive rhythm, otherwise the score gap will be further narrowed."

The game continued, but the words of the two commentators still echoed in my ears.

Their words not only provided the audience with a deeper interpretation of the game, but also sounded a wake-up call for the Nets.

Lu Yong obviously realized the seriousness of the problem and frowned slightly. He knew very well that on the basketball court, the momentum often changed in an instant.

Seeing that the Lakers had launched an 8:0 attack wave and the momentum was completely on their side, he knew he had to respond.

So, Lu Yong stood up decisively and signaled the referee to stop.

The players left the field and returned to the bench.

They all lowered their heads, with a look of frustration on their faces.

Cousins ​​was even more frustrated. He did not perform well in this game and was completely suppressed by the Lakers' inside line.

However, Lu Yong did not blame the players. He clapped loudly to attract everyone's attention.

He knew that blaming the players at this time would not have any effect and might make them more frustrated.

What he needs is to awaken the players' fighting spirit and make them feel a sense of crisis.

"Everyone raise your heads and look at me!" Lu Yong shouted, his voice full of strength and determination. "We are not defeated, we are just temporarily in trouble. The Lakers played a climax, but it does not mean that we have lost. We must unite and face this challenge together!"

The players raised their heads and looked at Lu Yong, with determination flashing in their eyes.

They knew that the coach was right and they couldn't give up because of a temporary setback.

Lu Yong continued: "We need to strengthen our defense and not let the Lakers score so easily. I decided to replace Cousins ​​with Robinson. We need to improve the defensive intensity of the interior."

Although Cousins ​​was somewhat unwilling, he also understood that this was for the team's victory.

He nodded silently and high-fived Robinson.

Lu Yong looked around at the players on the bench and continued, "Although the Lakers had an 8:0 climax, we are still in the lead. Don't be discouraged, play steadily, and we will definitely be able to find the rhythm and regain control of the game!"

The players nodded in agreement. The game was not over yet and they still held a double-digit lead.

With Lu Yong's encouragement, the fighting spirit of the Nets players was rekindled.

The players' faces no longer had the previous frustration and decadence, but were replaced by firmness and determination.

Perhaps the next game will be more intense and difficult, but they are ready. (End of this chapter)